1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disk apparatus provided with a discriminating unit for discriminating the kind of one disk from that of another loaded on the apparatus, and more particularly to a disk apparatus capable of carrying out a disk discriminating process speedily in accordance with the user's condition of use of the apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
A related art disk apparatus can use a plurality of kinds of disks, such as CD (Compact Disc), CD-R (CD Recordable), CD-RW (CD Rewritable) and DVD (Digital Versatile Disk). Therefore, various kinds of disk apparatuses devised so that the kind of a loaded disk can be discriminated more speedily from that of another have been proposed (refer to, for example, JP-A-2000-11527, JP-A-2000-332010 and JP-A-2002-117614).
In the disk apparatus disclosed in JP-A-2000-11527, the frequency of use of each kind of disk is counted every time the discrimination of the disks is conducted, a subsequent disk discriminating process is carried out in the order of the frequency of use of the disks. In the case of the disks the frequencies of use of which are equal, the disk discriminating process is carried out in the order of a preset priority. This enables a disk discrimination process to be carried out in accordance with a user's mode of use of the disks.
In the apparatus disclosed in JP-A-2000-332010, the individual discrimination information on a disk the information recorded on which was once reproduced is stored in an individual discrimination information storage unit, and automatic regulation information corresponding to the disk in an automatic regulation information storage unit. In order to then reproduce the information recorded in the disk, the automatic regulation information corresponding to the disk is read from the automatic regulation information storage unit, and the reproduction of the information is carried out. Namely, an automatic regulation process for a reproduction circuit with respect to the information recorded in a disk which has once been subjected to the reproduction of the information recorded therein.
When order information for determining the priority order for discriminating the kind of disk from that of another is inputted by a user's operation in the apparatus disclosed in JP-A-2002-117614, a disk discriminating process is carried out in the apparatus in accordance with the priority thereof every time a disk is loaded in the apparatus. This enables the disk which the user usually uses to be discriminated quickly from another.
In the apparatus disclosed in JP-A-2000-11527, a subsequent discrimination process is carried out in order from a disk the frequency of use of which is larger, so that the time taken for the disk discriminating process can be reduced. However, in view of the user's convenience of using the apparatus, a disk discriminating process carried out always in the order of the larger frequency of use thereof is not necessarily best. In short, when the user has come to consciously use the disk, for example, DVD which he had theretofore used non-frequently, it is advantageous to carry out a discrimination process for the DVD from the first. The user's setting of the priority order for the disk discriminating process, which is done in the apparatus disclosed in JP-A-2002-117614, for improving this condition, can attain this object. However, when the user sets the priority order and forgets canceling what is set with the user thereafter coming to encounter even a case where, for example, CD-RAM, the frequency of use of which is larger is used frequently, the disk discriminating process starts from the DVD for an indefinite time. Therefore, it takes more time conversely to carry out the disk discriminating process.
In short, the problem of whether to carry out a disc discrimination process in the order of the largeness of the frequency of use thereof, or in the order of the priority set by the user has to be dealt with according to the circumstances. However, such a disk discrimination process in accordance with the circumferences cannot be carried out by only a combination of the techniques disclosed in JP-A-2000-11527 and those disclosed in JP-A-2002-117614.
When the information recorded on a disk and reproduced once is reused in the apparatus disclosed in JP-A-2000-332010, a disk discrimination process is omitted, so that this apparatus is very convenient. However, when a new disk is loaded, it is necessary that an automatic discrimination process be carried out in the order formally used, so that it takes much time to carry out a discrimination process for a newly loaded disk.